March is National Social Work Month
As part of March’s National Social Work Month celebration, Brush Country CASA recognizes and appreciates the social workers, advocates and others who devote their careers to bettering the lives of others.
Social workers strive to build a stronger community for all people, and CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates®) is a proud partner in the effort to create a brighter future for children and families involved in the child welfare system.
CASA volunteers with Brush Country CASA are community members who are trained to advocate for children in foster care. They work with the Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) and other key child welfare advocates and professionals to ensure that the children they serve are safe and well. They get to know the child and speak with everyone involved in the child’s life, including their parents, family, caseworker, foster parents, therapists and others, so that they can make informed recommendations to the court about the child’s best interest.
One specific way CASA volunteers and caseworkers in Texas are working together to improve the lives of children and their families is through Collaborative Family Engagement (CFE), a statewide Family Finding partnership with DFPS that creates and strengthens supportive lifetime networks around children and their families. Studies have found that one of the strongest indicators of child well-being is the number of present, caring and reliable adults in the child’s life. With CFE, CASA volunteers, DFPS and others work together to build an adult support system for these children and their families – consisting of family members, family friends, teachers, mentors, neighbors, coaches and others – that will last even after the case is closed.
You don’t need to be a social worker to be a CASA volunteer. You just need to have the desire to make a difference – just like our colleagues in the social work field. For more information about CASA and what CASA volunteers do, visit www.BecomeACASA.org.
